California's Wild Gardens

the long version

A lavishly illustrated guide to native plants in California. From the tallest tree in the world (the coast redwood which can grow to 370 feet tall) to the smallest flowering plant in existence (the pond-dwelling water-meal, which measures less than one-tenth of an inch), California is home to more native plants than any other state in the nation. This large-format book celebrates the state's extraordinary richness with 500 full-color photographs and 100 essays written especially for the general reader. Dividing the state into 10 ecological regions, botanists have identified areas where local environmental factors favor a special ensemble of rare or endemic plants.